Susan Rita Parker

Susan Rita Parker died on April 14, 2021 in Tulsa, OK. She was 69 years old. Born on the 3rd of March,1952, in Ypsilanti, Michigan to Wayne and Marjorie Broesamle, she married Kenneth Parker on the 30th of June, 1973 in the town of Berea, Ohio.

Susan devoted her working life to the healthcare industry, first in Michigan and later in Oklahoma, and was proud to be a registered nurse. She retired from St Francis Hospital in Tulsa after serving more than 20 years. She said her greatest professional accomplishment was serving as the Manager of the Medical Staff Office at St Francis, a job she absolutely loved and finally relinquished only after her declining health made it impossible to work full-time.

Susan’s favorite moments were spent entertaining friends and family. She was a devoted mother to her two children, Griffin and Whitney. She loved being a mom and could not sleep each night without knowing that her children were home and safe. She was a consummate shopper and could spend hours wandering through inventory in a single store. She loved being “Mimi” to her two grandchildren, Lincoln (12) and Gray (9). She worked tirelessly trying to be the perfect hostess to all who visited her home and loved hosting Sunday family dinners for her children and grandchildren. She was a passionate reader, belonging to two different book clubs. She loved to travel, dragging her husband, Ken, onto a cruise ship for the first time in celebration of her 40th birthday and, over the next 29 years, she took over 40 more either with her husband, her daughter, Whitney, or the entire family. Sue took photos of everything and she transformed those simple photos into incredible scrapbooks in her ‘craft room’. She had an infectious laugh that could be heard across a crowded mall and she made an impression on everyone she met.

The last 25 years of her life were plagued with extensive medical issues and severe chronic pain, but she carried these burdens with an unmatched grace and dignity. She suffered greatly, but found joy in each day spent with the people she loved most and never complained or felt sorry for herself. She will be remembered by many as ‘full of life’ and by her family as the strongest person they have ever known. She was grateful for each day of her life and for each person with whom she had the opportunity to share it.

The family would like to thank the staff of Saint Francis Hospital for her outstanding care, especially those working on 5 North and in the 3 Tower ICU; Dr. Sara Newell for her outstanding and compassionate care over the last 25 years, and; Doctors Scott Asakevich, Ben Pettigrove, Ryan Rahal, Ty Boone and Farshid Zandi.




A ‘Celebration of Susan’s Life’ will be held at Schaudt’s Funeral Home located at 5757 S Memorial Dr, Tulsa OK (https://www.schaudtfuneralservice.com) on Saturday, 5 June, 2021 at 5:00 pm.
Family and friends are invited to send memories, photos and stories they wish to share online at www.schaudtfuneralservice.com.